ing followed, and finally by a roundabout route returned to
the lifeless form of his only friend. The wolf still trotted in silence
behind him.

The vivid morning light only revealed the crime in more dreadful detail.
The withered form lay huddled in the stained leaves; and Ben stood a
long time beside it, in deep and wondering silence, even now scarcely
able to believe the truth. How strange it was that this old comrade
could not waken and go on with him again! But in a moment he remembered
his work.

Slowly, laboriously, with little outward sign of the emotion that rent
his heart, he dug a shallow grave He knew perfectly that this was a
serious risk to his cause. Should the murderer return for any purpose,
to his dead, the grave would of course show that the body had been
discovered and would put him on his guard against Ben. Nevertheless, the
latter could not leave these early remains to the doubtful mercy of the
wilderness: the agents of air and sun, and the wild beasts.

He threw the last clod and stood looking down at the upturned earth.
"Sleep good, old Ez," he murmured in simple mass for the dead. "I'll do
what you said."

Then, at the head of the grave, he thrust the barrel of Ezram's rifle
into the ground, a monument grim as his own thoughts. The last rite was
completed; he was free to work now. From now on he could devote every
thought to the work in hand,--the payment of his debts.

By the same roundabout route he circled back to his camp, cooked his
meager lunch, and in the afternoon ventured forth again. But he was
prospecting in earnest this time, though the prospects that he sought
were those of victory to his cause, rather than of gold. He was seeking
simply a good, general idea of the nature and geography of the country
so that he might know better how to plan his attack.

His excursion took him at last to the wooded bank of the river. He stood
a long time, quite motionless, listening to the water voices that only
the wise can understand. This was really a noble stream. It flowed with
such grandeur in its silence and solitude; old and gray and austere, it
was a mighty expression of wilderness power,--resistless, immortal,
eternally secretive. The waters flowed darkly, icy cold from the melting
snow; but like a sleeping giant they would be quick to seize upon and
destroy such as would try to brave their currents, likely never to
yield them up again. Flowing forever through the uninhabited forest n